


Viel Glück Und Erfolg

by JjdoggieS



Series: All Is Calm, All Is Bright [22]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: (briefly) - Freeform, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Lights, Cute, Cute Ending, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Fluff, Ficmas, Ficmas 2020, Fluff, Harcest Ficmas, Harcest Ficmas 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:08:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28365939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JjdoggieS/pseuds/JjdoggieS
Summary: What had been a silly little activity and distraction between high school sweethearts Ben and Vanya, just as a way to get away from their parents' expectations, nothing serious, just something they'd done since they were kids, became an annual tradition for them, and their little family.Harcest Ficmas: Day 22 - Traditions
Relationships: Ben Hargreeves/Vanya Hargreeves
Series: All Is Calm, All Is Bright [22]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2034832
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2
Collections: Harcest Ficmas 2020





	Viel Glück Und Erfolg

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TooYoungToFeelThisTired](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooYoungToFeelThisTired/gifts).



When Ben Jameson and Vanya Ivanova were in 3rd grade together, seated next to each other at the start of the year, unsurprisingly, since IV was  _ very _ close to JA in the class roster, Ben and Vanya became fast friends. And best friends even faster. And with being best friends, Ben’s parents and Vanya’s parents had thought that having Ben’s parents drive them through their neighborhoods, looking at all the Christmas lights on people’s houses.

To be honest, neither Ben nor Vanya quite remember  _ exactly _ what they’d been doing during the first drive. But evidently, if their parents alternating who would drive them around for the following seven years was anything to go by, it must’ve been something that they’d both been overjoyed about doing. And every year, from when they were in 3rd grade until they were sophomores in high school, they’d be driven around their neighborhood, looking at (and sometimes secretively making fun of) the Christmas lights their neighbors had up.

But, the first year that Ben  _ and _ Vanya had their licenses, Ben drove them both around and through the neighborhood, enjoying their newfound freedom, even in the slightest way, from their parents. Ben and Vanya, going into their sixth month of  _ officially _ dating, hopped into Ben’s pick-up truck, and pulled off from the curb that Ben’s truck was parked on, and started aimlessly driving around their neighborhood, as well as some of the other neighborhoods in their area.

While Ben was driving, he kept sneaking a few looks over at his girlfriend, and best friend, feeling elated and amused as he watched varying degrees of fascination, memorization, and almost child-like wonder as the overly bright colors reflected and colored her face. And some of the times, when Ben was sneaking looks over at Vanya, he’d find her watching at him, which would earn him a shy smile, a little giggle, and a light blush from Vanya before she whipped her head back to looking out the windows of the truck.    
  
For years, from all the slightly dumb kids movies that he and Vanya had watched together, some of them several times over, Ben had thought that anyone that ever dated in high school,  _ especially _ if they’d been friends or best friends beforehand, would inevitably fight, break up, and wouldn’t even talk to each other anymore. So, when he and Vanya, who’d been  _ best friends  _ when they’d started dating, there was always this slight fear in the back of Ben’s mind that one day, he and Vanya would have some big falling out and they’d break up; but it never came, and if anything they were closer when dating than they’d been when they were just friends.

Rather than ever  _ really _ fighting with each other, there were of course times that they didn’t  _ always  _ agree with each other, it felt like for Ben that when they’d gotten together, officially, is what had allowed them to grow as close as they possibly could be. The nagging fear of Ben’s, that dating his best friend could end up with them no longer being friends or even speaking to each other, sat in the back of his mind for the first three months of their relationship. And every once in a while, during some of their small disagreements, Ben worried that  _ that _ would be when they broke up and would never talk again. 

Thankfully, none of their disagreements  _ ever _ came close to them breaking up and never talking again.

Even at sixteen, Ben wasn’t sure if he and Vanya would stay together forever and ever, and even get married and have kids together one day, but what he did know, or well  _ hoped _ would happen, was that they’d be together for a while. Maybe even at least a few years. But Ben sincerely hoped, that  _ if _ they ever  _ did _ break up, that he and Vanya would still be able to be best friends, or at least friends, afterward. 

* * *

As Ben pulled their family minivan (something he’d never thought he’d actually own, ever) out of the garage and onto the street, a feeling of excitement and nostalgia rushed through him. Remembering how much joyfulness that he and Vanya had felt during their annual Christmas light drives, regardless of if they were ten and best friends, fifteen and dating, twenty and married, or twenty-five and married with two kids.

Their three year old daughter Isabella, who’d been pitching a fit since she’d been put in the car, constantly proclaiming she didn’t need to be in a car seat like a baby, and their nearly one year old son Alexander, who’d also been crying, but was likely because he was typically sleeping by this time and not going out on a family drive, both calmed down drastically, and instead were mesmerized by the colorful lights and blown up inflatable Christmas characters in some of their neighbors' yards. As the first bright flashes of blue and white hit their car windows, Isabella’s complaining and Alexander’s crying quickly was quelled, and was soon replaced by awes and coos of fascination and entertainment.

With their kids, at least temporarily pacified, Ben glanced from the road, checking his rearview mirror on their kids, back to the road, and then continuously looking between his wife and the road (it’s not like he was going at a high speed, at all, he was only driving through their neighborhood after all, and was constantly checking that no kid had somehow found a way in front of their car and could get hurt if he wasn’t paying attention). As he looked over to Vanya, he found that she was smiling over at him, still in the midst of turning back around to face the front of the car after trying to get Isabella and Alexander to stop whining and crying.

As Vanya smiled over at him, she told him, “I love you.”

“I love you.” Ben repeated, leaning over slightly, and Vanya meeting him midway with a kiss.

A little voice from the backseats of their car whined “Eww! That’s yucky mommy!” Vanya glazed back at Isabella, who’d stopped watching the Christmas lights and was instead watching her parent’s with a scrunched up face, something she often did when she didn’t want to do or eat something. Typical three year olds.

While Ben and Vanya were both laughing at Isabella’s ‘disgusted’ reaction to her parents kissing, another “Eww! That’s yucky momma!” came from the backseat, followed by a little giggle as Alexander mimicked his sister’s reaction, despite not pulling his eyes from the colorful lights outside. 

There were days that Ben honestly couldn’t believe the fortunate life he’d ended up having with his best friend, like today, laughing with their kids while driving around the neighborhood. But every single day he was incredibly thankful for the life he  _ did _ have with his wife and best friend and their two adorable kids.

**Author's Note:**

> Update survey if you're interested -> https://forms.gle/kj4UBqMeUThavmnx6


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